Are you looking for the most powerful good luck charms? They’re closer than you think.
Lucky symbols and signs are all around us. In nature. In your home. In your pocket. Sometimes these lucky omens simply appear. Sometimes we choose them to reflect our intent.
Whether it’s an otherworldly message or a purposeful choice, good luck charms amaze, intrigue, and inspire us.
What are the best good luck charms?
That depends. Almost anything can be a good luck charm to the right person. The best symbol for you is something that connects with your soul. But, there are some objects considered particularly powerful across different countries, cultures, and time periods.
FOUR-LEAF CLOVER
This beloved Irish symbol is said to represent faith, hope, love, and luck.
The ancient Celtic Druids used four-leaf clovers to protect themselves againt evil spirits and ward off bad luck. It was a common belief in the Middle Ages that carrying a four-leaf clover allowed one to see witches and fairies.
In Christianity, the three-leaf clover (also known as the shamrock) represents the Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Some view the four-leaf clover as the sign of the cross. It’s said that Eve took one with her when she was banished from the Garden of Eden.
Four-leaf clovers are also considered lucky just because they’re so very rare. Chances of finding a four-leaf clover are one in 10,000—but that doesn’t mean you should ever stop looking!
Want to double your luck? Find a four-leaf clover and give it to someone else!
HORSESHOE
There are two popular legends that account for the horseshoe being lucky. According to one, St. Dunstan, the patron saint of blacksmiths, was ordered to make a shoe for the devil’s horse. St. Dunstan nailed the horseshoe to the devil’s hoof instead. In exchange for his freedom, the devil agreed to avoid any home with a horseshoe on the door.
The other legend says elves, witches, fairies, goblins, and leprechauns were afraid or unable to touch iron because of its magical properties. In early Western Europe, people would hang iron horseshoes over their front doors to ward off these mischievous creatures.
The Chaldeans of 8th century Europe revered the horseshoe because it shared the same shape as the moon. They used it to protect again the evil eye.
How do you hang a horseshoe?
- To ward off evil, hang it on a door or external wall
- To attract luck, hang it heels up like the letter U so it can catch all the good vibes
- To spread the luck, hand it heels down so it rains luck upon anyone who walks under it
LADYBUGS
If you encounter a ladybug, treat it with care. These are tiny creatures of legendary proportions!
One European legend says that farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary after their crops were destroyed by aphids. The ladybugs soon appeared to eat the aphids. The farmers called the lucky bugs ‘Our Lady’s beetles’, which later became ‘ladybugs’.
Another legend from the 10th century says that a ladybug landed on the neck of a man about to be executed before a king. The king saw the ladybug as a sign from God to pardon the man instead.
In Norse mythology, the god Thor gave delivered ladybugs in a bolt of lightning to the people of Earth. French folklore says that if a ladybug lands, watch the direction they fly. That’s where your good luck will come from. And if the bug lands on a sick person and flies away, it takes the illness with them. In Swedish folklore, a ladybug foretells marriage by landing on the hand of a woman soon to wed.
There’s a lot of ladybug symbolism. If you encounter one, here’s what it could mean:
- Bugs are connected to the earth and, thus, the root chakra. A ladybug may visit you as a sign to balance your root chakra through fun and play.
- In a period of transformation or transition? No matter how profound the change, the ladybug reminds us we can do it.
- The ladybug always knows the way. If you’re uncertain about your path, trust in your instincts and channel the ladybug’s ability to fly with confidence.
- You’ve got magnetic energy that draws positive forces to you
- If a ladybug lands on you, count its spots. That’s how many of good luck you’ll have.
Remember, be nice to the ladybug. If you hurt it, bad luck may befall you.
COINS
“If you see a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck!”
The meaning of coins is pretty straightforward. Money is a symbol of wealth, literally and symbolically. A favorite abundance symbol around the world is the coin.
The ancient Greeks believed tossing a coin into a well appeased the gods and kept the water from running dry. They also placed coins over the eyes of the deceased, a payment for passage to the underworld.
Unsurprisingly, coins have a strong connection to the spirit world. Many believe that finding a penny or dime is a message from the beyond. If you lose a loved one, you may notice more small coins pop up around you. It’s a sign that you’re loved and valued by someone you lost.
Finding coins can also suggest that more wealth is headed your way. If you see a coin, keep your eyes open for more to follow. One penny on the floor says you’ll be able to afford what you need.
To encourage wealth and good fortune, put a coin kept in a new coat, purse, or wallet. Another way to attract wealth is to fill a bowl with coins and other valuables and let it bring in more abundance.
GOLDFISH
If you’re looking to add some positivity and luck to your life—and you’re prepared to care for a new pet—consider a goldfish.
Legend has it that Buddha was offered two golden fish following enlightenment. The fish symbolized India’s two biggest rivers, as well as abundance, courage, and joy. Chinese folklore tells tales of goldfish with the ability to grant wishes. In Japan, goldfish are usually red and black. Red attracts luck while black wards off evil.
In general, goldfish are said to represent fertility, good health, good fortune. Dreaming about goldfish can suggest you’re at odds with yourself or your surroundings. Look beyond the surface of things to see what’s truly valuable.
If you decide to get a goldfish, superstition recommends:
- A minimum of two goldfish, especially if you’re seeking a more harmonious relationship
- For the most positivity, keep eight goldfish
- Include a black goldfish to ward off bad luck
SHOOTING STARS
Have you ever wished upon a shooting star? You’re not alone.
Humans have had a special reverence for these cosmic events since the dawn of time. Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer in the 2nd century AD, supposed that shooting stars came down from the cosmos whenever the god peered in on the people below.
Some saw shooting stars as bad omens that foretold a coming catastrophe, but eventually, the lucky perspective reigned supreme.
Early Christians thought shooting stars were angels and souls, who rose and fell in the heavens. Indigenous Australians believed they helped the dead reach heaven. In some cultures, a shooting star is said to be the soul of a new baby ready to begin its life on Earth.
If you see a shooting star, make a wish. Fail to do so and you may risk bad luck, according to Welsh tradition. Some believe that you should repeat “money” until the star disappears to wish for wealth.
What is a shooting star? It’s a meteor, cosmic debris created by comets or asteroids.
It can symbolize:
- A change on the horizon
- A wish coming true
- Luck in love
- A soulmate connection (if you see it together)
- A message from the spirit world
KEYS
Remember how iron made horseshoes especially lucky? The same is said for keys. When they were made from iron, touching a key could protect you from evil. Most keys aren’t made of iron anymore, but the lucky properties persist.
Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that keys could unlock doors to the gods. The Romans preferred keys made of silver in honor of Diana, goddess of doorways and mothers-to-be. An old European tradition involved putting a key under a child’s pillow to keep them safe while they sleep.
In Japan, three keys tied together make a lucky charm. If your key goes rusty, that’s a good sign. It suggests you’ll inherit money. Are you at a crossroads? Toss keys over your left shoulder and head in the direction that the longest key points.
Give a key to your partner as a symbol they can open the door to your heart. It’s said the giver will be lucky in love.
How to use good luck charms
Is there a luck symbol that speaks to you? If there’s an animal, object, or sign that represents who you are, your values, or what you want to achieve, you can easily incorporate your ultimate good luck charm into your life:
- Make or buy art that includes your good luck charm
- Get a lucky symbol tattoo
- Wear lucky items like charm symbol jewelry
- Embroider the symbol on clothing
- Put a picture or statue of the symbol in your home
- Doodle the lucky symbol when you’re bored
Psychic reading for good luck
Do you keep seeing coins, keys, or ladybugs? Is there another symbol that shows up everywhere you go?
Where do these signs come from? What messages do they hold?
The answers can be found in a psychic reading. A spiritual advisor can help you understand good luck and protection symbols and find the good luck charms that work for you. These types of readings are especially helpful if you’re feeling particularly unlucky lately.
